[at-l] Snakes

[gbuffmd@bellsouth.net (Gary Buffington)]

1.  Don't worry about snake bite.  I know of no one bitten by a poisonous
snake on the AT in several years.
2.  You'll be thrilled and lucky to actually see one of these magnificent
creatures.  We saw one rattle snake in Pennsylvania, and were glad to see it
and hear it rattle and put on its show.  You can read about it in our web
site.  We never saw a copperhead, but suspect they saw us.
3.  About 1/3 of actual bites by poisonous snakes do not involve injection
of venom; therefore, no treatment is needed.
4.  In 1/3 of bites the amount of venom injected is so small that no
treatment is needed.
5.  In 1/3 of bites treatment is needed and that treatment is antivenin.
Forget about suction and cross cuts, they really don't work well.
6.  Less than 10 individuals die of snake bite per year in the United
States, almost none from copper heads.
7.  All the hospitals big and small along the trail will know about
snakebite and have appropriate treatment available.
8.  The biggest risk of bite are the mutts the other hikers take out on the
trail.
9.  Most of those who are bitten by a poisonous snake are drunk and
approached the snake on purpose.

We hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 2000 as Bear Bag and Sweet Pea
See our journal at: http://www.1800WeSweat.com
Gary and Millie Buffington
Retired ER Doctor (Gary) who treated about 50 snake bites in my career


We hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 2000 as Bear Bag and Sweet Pea
See our journal at: http://www.1800WeSweat.com
Gary and Millie Buffington